Senior Day no distraction for Lady Dogs

Saturday

Senior Day coincides with today’s vital game in the Southeastern Conference standings.

But even as one of two players to be honored today, Meredith Mitchell won’t let the festivities divert attention from the business at hand: Securing third place in the SEC standings.

“It’s not going distract me at all,” Mitchell said. “I look forward to playing on Sunday and it really doesn’t have anything to do with being a senior and being my last game in Stegeman. Of course I want to end it on a good note and that’s solely dependent on us getting a win. So I can zero points, but as long as my team wins that’s all I care about.”

Georgia (21-7, 10-5 in the SEC) plays LSU (20-8, 10-5) at 5:30 p.m. today in Stegeman Coliseum in the regular-season finale for both teams. Mitchell and soon-to-graduate junior walk-on Brittney Crews will be honored before what will be their final home game. Georgia can lock down third place in the league and the No. 3 seed going into the conference tournament with a win. If LSU wins, Georgia could slide all the way to fifth depending on tiebreakers involving today’s other games.

“You’re talking about two players who understand that the game is more important than anything that they can plot or plan or we can plot or plan,” Georgia coach Andy Landers said.

Mitchell and Crews might go down as two of the hardest-working players to go through Landers’ program. Mitchell came in as a passive and little-used guard who developed into one of the most versatile players on the team, averaging 8.9 points and 5.3 rebounds a game this year. She graduated in December with a degree in business management. Crews, a Jefferson graduate, left a scholarship at Brenau after two years to walk on at Georgia . She is set to graduate this summer with a degree in biology and plans to enter coaching.

“It’s probably not going to hit me until Sunday when my parents and everybody are getting ready,” Crews said. “I say I’m not going to cry but I probably will, and my parents will cry too. I’ve been playing basketball for 17 years now but it’s kind of crazy how it’s coming to an end. But I’m really excited about the next phase in my life. It’s bitter-sweet.”

Mitchell is the lone four-year senior on this year’s team. She started her career as a mild-mannered but often bull-headed freshman who could not win a spot in the rotation. This season she has played all three perimeter positions and became the primary ball handler when Jasmine James was hurt.

“It feels like I just here when I was meeting new people and going over a new system,” Mitchell said. “I was the only freshman, now it’s over. It went, it really went quick. ... I just want to be known as a team player and an unselfish player. I think I demonstrated that a lot this year, playing at the point and learning a new role and just being with my teammates.”

Despite playing rarely, Crews set team highs this year 32 extra weight training sessions and 34 extra shooting sessions. Georgia blew out Ole Miss 87-52 on Thursday and Crews played the final three minutes. When Crews went onto the floor, she received one of the loudest greetings of the night.

“That was really sweet, the fans are always super-sweet and I really appreciate them,” Crews said. “It means a lot when everybody is really excited for you. I heard it. Everybody was telling me, ‘You got a standing ovation.’ I just heard everybody cheering but I was just happy to go in. That was really sweet. The fans are always awesome and I love Georgia fans.”

LSU at No. 18 Georgia

WHEN: 5 p.m. today.

WHERE: Stegeman Coliseum.

VIDEO: ESPN2.

RADIO: AM-960 The Ref.

RECORDS: No. 18-ranked Georgia is 21-7, including 10-5 in the SEC; LSU is 20-8, 10-5 and unranked. Georgia , LSU and Arkansas are tied for third place in the SEC.

SEASON AT A GLANCE: Georgia has won five of its last six and beat Ole Miss 87-52 on Thursday. LSU has won six straight and beat Vanderbilt 69-66 on Thursday at Baton Rouge .

NOTEWORTHY: Georgia can clinch third place in the SEC by winning today. Georgia could slide to fifth if it loses and Arkansas wins at South Carolina . If Georgia loses and Arkansas loses, Georgia would be fourth because it won the head-to-head meeting.

... Senior Day activities will honor Meredith Mitchell and soon-to-graduate junior walk-on Brittney Crews before the game. ... Georgia has four players with at least 50 steals – Anne Marie Armstrong (62), Jasmine James (57), Khaalidah Miller (54) and Mitchell (51) – for the first time since its first Final Four team in 1983. ... Georgia assistants Travis Mays and Joni Crenshaw were assistants under Van Chancellor at LSU last season. Chancellor retired and was replaced by former Tennessee player and assistant Nikki Caldwell. ... LSU is second in the SEC in points allowed at 52.2 a game first in field goal defense at 33.7 percent. ... LSU is also second in the league in rebounding margin (plus 6.4) while Georgia is eighth (plus 2.9).

Roger Clarkson

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